News Releases

13 New England Groups Selected to Receive Additional Brownfields Grants for Contaminated Land Clean Up and Local Job Creation

(Boston, Mass. – Aug. 7, 2009) – EPA has selected 13 organizations in five New England states to receive nearly $9.5 million in grant funding to provide loans and subgrants to help carry out cleanup activities, redevelopment projects, and create jobs for local residents living near brownfields sites. Funding for these grants is supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

EPA has made these selections based on the organizations’ previously demonstrated ability to assist their community through effective brownfields redevelopment loans.. Revolving loan funds are generally used to provide low or no interest loans for brownfields cleanups.

“EPA's Brownfield's program has been an incredibly powerful economic engine, helping communities throughout New England to assess, clean and reclaim abandoned parcels, returning property to productive uses," said Ira Leighton, acting regional administrator of EPA's New England office. "Not only will this funding help jump start local economies – we’ll be providing needed job training and putting people to work creating a cleaner and healthier environment."

Applicants selected to receive Recovery Act funds are:

- Valley Council of Governments (Conn.), $900,000; Recovery Act funds will support cleanup activities at several of the eight shovel-ready hazardous substances projects that have been identified by the Council. These projects are expected to create over 290 new jobs and over $27 million in private investment.

- Bath, Maine, $36,000; Recovery Act funds will support cleanup activities at as many as three shovel-ready projects identified by the city that are contaminated with hazardous substances and petroleum. These projects are expected to create 89 construction jobs and 34 permanent jobs.

- Boston Redevelopment Authority (Mass.), $720,000; Recovery Act funds will support cleanup activities at as many as four shovel-ready hazardous substances projects that have been identified by the Authority. These projects are expected to create over 130 remediation and construction jobs, 120 permanent jobs and over 19 million in private investment.

- Worcester, Mass., $920,000; Recovery Act funds will support cleanup activities at as many as five shovel-ready projects identified by the city that are contaminated with hazardous substances and petroleum. These projects are expected to maximize job creation and will include extensive public and private investment.

- New Hampshire Dept. of Environmental Services, $1.8 million; Recovery Act funds will support as many as nine shovel-ready hazardous substances cleanup projects that have been identified by the state. These projects are expected to create over 300 new jobs and substantial public and private investment

- Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission, VT, $590,000; Recovery Act funds will support cleanup activities at as many as seven shovel-ready projects identified by the Commission that are contaminated with hazardous substances and petroleum. These projects are expected to create over 500 remediation and construction jobs, over 800 permanent jobs and significant public and private investment.

- Vermont Agency of Commerce & Community Development, $600,000; Recovery Act funds will support cleanup activities at as many as five shovel-ready hazardous substances projects that have been identified by the Agency. These projects are expected to create over 400 new jobs and provide much needed economic benefit to the targeted communities.

Applicant selected to receive a combination of Recovery Act and general funds:

- Bridgeport, Conn., $400,000 (Recovery Act), $500,000 (general funds); Recovery Act funds will be used to replenish the RLF, from which the city will provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities at as many as six shovel-ready petroleum projects that have been identified by the city. The general brownfields funds will be used to provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities at up to 10 hazardous substances projects. These projects are expected to generate over 850 jobs and significant private investment.

Applicants selected to receive Brownfields general program funds are:

- Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development, $600,000; Funds will support cleanup activities at as many as nine hazardous substances projects that have been identified by the Department. These projects are expected to create over 150 new jobs and over $10 million in private investment.

- Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission, $700,000; Funds support cleanup activities at several of the 15 projects identified by the Commission that are contaminated with hazardous substances and petroleum. These projects are expected to maximize job creating and economic benefit to the targeted communities.

- Franklin Regional Council of Governments (Mass.), $500,000; Funds will support cleanup activities at as many as five hazardous substances projects that have been identified by the Council. These projects are expected to create over 130 new jobs and will help leverage other public and private funding.

- Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (Mass.), $500,000; Funds will support cleanup activities at hazardous substances projects in Hampden and Hampshire Counties in western Massachusetts. These projects are expected to help retain and create over 155 jobs, leverage over $2 million in redevelopment dollars and fill cleanup funding gaps.

- Taunton, Mass., $500,000; Funds will support cleanup activities at three hazardous substances projects that have been identified by the city. These projects are expected to maximize job creating and economic benefit in the targeted areas of the city.

Since 1998, EPA has awarded more than $25 million in brownfields job training funds. More than 5,000 people have completed EPA-funded training programs, with more than 3,250 obtaining employment in the environmental fields, earning an average wage of $13.81 per hour. EPA established the Brownfields Job Training Program to help residents take advantage of jobs created by the assessment, cleanup and sustainable reuse of brownfields sites and to ensure that the economic benefits derived from brownfields redevelopment remain in the affected communities.

Brownfields are sites where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act (Brownfields Law) was passed. The Brownfields Law expanded the definition of what is considered a brownfield, so communities may now focus on mine-scarred lands or sites contaminated by petroleum or the manufacture and distribution of illegal drugs. EPA’s Brownfields Program encourages redevelopment of America’s estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17, 2009, and has directed that the Recovery Act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at Recovery.gov.